The Beta Male unleashes a weird and wonderful narrative with bits of gibberish thrown in

Most of the Beta Males sketch troupe are performing solo or side projects this year but it’s unlikely that any of them will be as odd as John Henry Falle's. Bounding on stage with vibrant thespian posturing, he proceeds to tell part of the story of Beowulf in either the original Old English or gibberish: it's hard to tell which. For a moment you wonder if he's going to do this for the full hour. But no, it gets much weirder, and joyful, than this.

All spittle, sweat and arm gesticulating, Falle is The Story Beast who, he claims, has been around for thousands of years and with some material that's just as old. He moves through his set-pieces such as a musical deconstruction of the Teddy Bears’ picnic, some deceptively tricky riddles and a song about the dangers of pointing. Eventually he turns to address the intriguing miniature village set out on the floor which is populated by various tiny toy figurines.

Surprisingly, given the anarchic quality of the show, a narrative emerges leading up to a wonderfully ludicrous finale. A great slobbering beastie of a show, which is as innovative as it is entertaining. Some knowledge of Harry Potter would also be beneficial but not essential.